White Wings
by Ilsk
Summary: Children of the Asmodians and the Elyos are taught to hate each other. Some are bold enough to question this teaching. These actions of deception will change history to a direction no one could think possible. A lot of love, but also pain.


**Authors note: There may be room for editing in the future as the story unfolds. I still have brief knowledge about the history of Aion, and may be lacking some correct facts. Copyright is owned by NCsoft. None of the material used is of my own, but the fiction itself.**

1.

It was a dusky dawn like any other in the land of Asmodae. The nightly creatures were still lurking about, as if there was no specific time given of day for them to lay to rest. For them, day and night weren't two different things, equal in time. It was light and darkness that set their routine patterns. Women and children of the Asmodians needed to therefore be careful when bringing their morning water from water holes near thick shrubbery, where any signs of wild animals could be missed. There had been told many stories of missing children, when mothers have turned their back against them for a short moment, only to turn back to a lonely bucket of water, waiting to be carried back to the camp where they lived. Morning was yet to break. Today was to be like any other day in the darkness away from the sun.

It hadn't always been like this. There were Daeva of the Asmodian old enough to witness the older days, when whole of Atreia was united, living for the same goal – under the will of serving Aion. They witnessed deception among those they thought were their brothers and sisters, with whom they had entrusted their lives – they were called the Elyos. But one should not be fooled, because even the elderly are tainted by prejudice and hatred, unable to see past those borders. Children of the Asmodians grew up and were taught to hate the Elyos. If anyone questioned this teaching, they were brought to such shame so that one would not ever question it again. Even if nobody said it aloud, the question crossed every Asmodian's mind: why did Aion bless the Elyos with light, and condemned the Asmodians to darkness?

Amras was a Daeva who never entirely believed in the suffering of the Asmodian people, and would not turn himself to self-pity of his people in order to get a reason for revenge to soothe his blood lust. He believed that if the people once could live together as one, then there must have been goodness in the Elyos as well. This idea awakened great curiosity inside him for the Elyos, and he found himself lurking in the Abyss, trying to find a way to contact his people's former allies. His search was at times dangerous, for Elyos were as brainwashed from their history as the Asmodians were of their own. He parried many blades with the ones he was told to hate. Amras was a stubborn man, but even he could feel that hope was fading. Perhaps he had fooled himself. He felt agony for his enthusiasm, and sometimes even shame for being naive.

There came a day when Amras set his eyes upon a beauty so different from any Daeva or human of Asmodae. He immediately understood that she was definitely an offspring of Elyos. In his mind, she had been an angel surrounded by her white feathers and sun-touched skin, emitting a glow around her. How could anything as beautiful as her be as evil as he was taught to think about his people's foes? He didn't dare to approach her, with the knowledge that he might have to cross blades with her as well as many others before her. So he watched her from afar, longing for the day that he'd dare speak with her. She seemed quite the ambitious Daeva, collecting, no sorry, extracting Aether all day, for it was an ugly action of a Daeva to use him- or herself of humanly simple ways. She did not seem hostile, since she would hide whenever an Asmodian appeared, and then go back to her extraction when danger was gone.

One day, she caught Amras by surprise.

"When are you going to speak up, Asmodian? You have been following me for over a week now, the least."

Amras was paralyzed and turned ice cold to the spot. How could she had noticed him? He had been so careful. Sometimes, when she was close enough, he would hold his breath, even if temptation to sniff her scent lusted deeply.

"Oh well. My name is Eleniel." She turned around and smiled directly towards Amras. "Your eyes are easily spotted here in the Abyss. That's how the elderly told us to identify you, since your wings are as black as darkness."

She tilted her head in wonder. "Tell me, Asmodian, how come you haven't killed me? I have been uncaring and not watched my back. You could have finished me off any of these days."

Amras felt his heart start to beat again, and replied silently, "I don't believe that people, whom were once our brothers and sisters, are meant to be our foes."

Amras and Eleniel shared much more than they could have imagined. None of them hated their sworn foes. None of them believed in blaming the other part for what had happened in Atreia. This brought the two together, and their story evolved into something dangerous. They fell in love. They could never share this with anyone, for if anyone found out about their deception against their own people, they would most likely both be banished and killed.

They could, however, not deny themselves from each other, and would continue to meet in the Abyss. Little did they know what history they were writing, for in Eleniel's womb, a new life was growing. Eleniel carried his child in secret, not only keeping the truth from her people but also from Amras. All she told him was, "I cannot see you anymore, Amras."

Amras was devastated. He didn't understand his lover's sudden withdrawal. He couldn't believe it – he _wouldn't_ believe it. They had finally proved that Asmodians and Elyos still are meant to live side by side as brothers and sisters. What didn't he understand that she saw, but did not want to share with him? He continued visiting the Abyss, in hope she would return and tell him that it was all a lie. She never did.

When Eleniel felt the day had come for the baby to be born, she withdrew back to her home village, Akarios Village, where she had spent most of her time as a human girl. Humans who still lived there did not know her, since humans weren't granted eternal life as the Daeva were, so the people once dear to her here, have since long been deceased. Here she could deliver her child in peace.

People of the village were still as kind as she had remembered. An elderly looking lady helped Eleniel through the hours of pain, and she had given her a baby boy. While alone in the dark cottage, Eleniel embraced her baby boy with a loving mother's look. His skin was fair and his hair was white-blonde. But then he opened his eyes, and to her dismay, they were bright red, like the eyes of an Asmodian. She closed his eyes with the touch of her palm, and silently rocked him to sleep.

After a few days of rest, she wrapped her baby boy in rags and left Akarios. She traveled to the Abyss, searching the distant space. It didn't take her long, because there he was – Amras. An arrow of pain struck her heart. How much she had missed him. She flew to a safe spot near him, "Amras, I have returned!"

Amras couldn't believe it. His voice shivered as he spoke, "Eleniel, is it really you? I have waited for so long for your return. I was losing faith..."

"Amras, I was carrying your son. Tell me, what you would have done if you were doing the same!"

Amras gazed at the bundle of rags in the arms of Eleniel. He reached out for it with shaky hands. Eleniel let him hold their son, watching Amras' reactions. Amras folded away a piece of cloth from the baby's face. The boy looked up at his father, as if he knew who he was. Amras was struck by surprise, and all he said was, "His eyes!"

Eleniel nodded. "Yes, that's why I cannot keep him, Amras. They would wrench his neck and mine too. You have to take him."

Amras tightened his grip around the bundle. "I will name him Elenion, after you, my beloved Eleniel." He reached out his other arm, and Eleniel rushed to him, the whole family in a warm embrace. Amras kissed her forehead, because he knew that this was the last time they could ever meet.

Little did they know what history they had written, the two younglings of Asmodae and Elysea. This is where the story of conflict against long unstirred waters unfolds.


End file.
